Member Review: Promo Promises Amazing Premiere (spoilers)

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So, Castle season five has had it's first promo. If you are spoiler-free this would be the time to stop reading this article. Okay, are we good? Alright...Did you SEE it? The most intense 21 seconds of my life! AMAZING!

http://youtu.be/gqsPrNU1d4I

Now that I've gotten the fan-flailing out the way, I have to ask what exactly makes this promo not just hot, but informative? The hot parts are easy: Castle - no shirt, Beckett - his shirt. Fabulous looking tousled, but yet perfect, Beckett hair. Some possible bedroom flashback (I'll get back to that). There's this great little snippet of dialog where Kate, in his shirt, in his bedroom, asks if he liked it. Now, as pointed out by many on twitter, if you have to ask that question there's a problem. However, being that this is a promo, we don’t actually know the context of the question

As Castle fans we know these two have issues with direct communication. So, regardless of the question’s context, the subtext seems pretty clear. Stana conveys complete vulnerability in that moment, because what she's really asking is, "do you want to keep doing this. Are we now in a relationship?" It takes Castle a moment to comprehend. For a minute he looks at her like she's crazy, but then he very seriously and emphatically reassures her that, yes, he liked it. (whatever the “it” is.) I love Stana's shyness when she says, "I liked it too." It reminded me a bit of the ending of "Undead Again" when Castle says he’d like to be there when her wall comes down. Remember, “I’d like you to be there, too.” While this scene has a much stronger sexual vibe, the sweetness is the same.

Now, about those maybe flashback scenes, based on the white shirt that’s being unbuttoned, I would say it’s not a flashback; rather it’s near the ending of the “morning after” scene. The scenario I’m going with is: Rick wakes up, looks around for Kate, who appears wearing that white shirt. That’s what sparks the “so it wasn’t a dream.” Then there is obviously some kind of conversation about something that sparks the loaded conversation of “did you like it.” Cue the white shirt unbuttoning, which moves eventually to Beckett wearing nothing but a sexy smile as she leans in to kiss him...fade to black.

So, that's the hotness factor, and it burning hot. This could be enough for some shows, something to devote an entire episode to, but this is Castle. The events of the season 4 finale were not just about Castle & Beckett getting together. There was also the matter of the Johanna Beckett murder/ conspiracy and a certain sniper who has promised to put Beckett in the ground for good. The promo weighs in on those issues too – in 21 seconds!

To be fair, there is a season 5 promotional photo that helped inform me about what's going on in the promo. That photo has Beckett, Ryan, Esposito and Castle at Beckett's loft trying to piece together tiny bits of paper. In the shot Castle is wearing a BLACK shirt - just like in the promo. The order of events seems to be that our darling duo find a police file, but before they can really read it the file is shredded into little pieces. Perhaps it happens in that explosion? Whatever the cause, the guys and Beckett are going end up piecing that thing together enough to learn about a certain senator’s involvement in this conspiracy – which explains that shot with all senator campaign signs.

You can bet that Kate isn’t saying “they’re coming for me” in a husky, breathy voice while wielding her gun down a corridor. I am looking forward to seeing where they took that from. It could be from the morning after, but my money is on a second bedroom scene with a higher angst factor. Why? Because, that gasp of Castle suddenly waking up at the end of the promo isn’t in Castle’s loft. As my fellow spoiler detective, TinkonBrink, pointed out, those windows are in Beckett”s loft, and Rick is therefore in Beckett’s bed. Is it before the explosion, or after is unclear, but it does seem that whatever they found out from that file gave Castle a pretty scary dream.

All in all, the promo promises an amazing premiere of new beginnings: a new relationship between Castle and Beckett, and new information on the Johanna Beckett murder. Yet, it leaves fans with more unanswered questions. Is Smith dead or not? Was he the one that somehow guided them to the police file? What the heck blew up? Finally, the most important question of all is still a mystery. Did Castle make Beckett pancakes for breakfast? September 24th PLEASE hurry up and get here!

Comments

Great review Beckstle! Thanks for some really great insight. Hadn’t even thought about the wake up scene being in Beckett’s loft. Good call!
I will say that I have my own theory about where the whole “so, you liked it?” question came from. You’re very right, I think the context is a little different (and totally loaded).
I envision Castle waking up with Beckett gone and as he begins to think perhaps it was a dream, in walks Beckett, wearing his white shirt and carrying coffee, one for her and one for him. “So it wasn’t a dream.” Maybe he even gives her a little jab about it being about time she was the one bringing him coffee. After they quietly sip for a few minutes she asks if he liked it. Technically she is talking about the coffee but they both know she is asking more. (If you notice, we don’t get a view of their hands in the promo so they could potentially be holding coffee mugs.) Then after he reassures her with a sweet kiss (and maybe more per the shot of him unbuttoning her/his shirt) we get a fad to black, commercial break. We return with the two of them in the kitchen. Beckett sitting at the bar all doe-eyed while Castle cooks pancakes.
A fangirl can dream, right?

Great review. I enjoyed your take on it. I have to point out though that all of the bedroom scenes are in Castle’s loft. The checkered wall behind the bed is a dead giveaway. It’s the same wall and bed in the scene in Linchpin when Sophia is in his house. As for the “They’re coming for me.” line, I have a theory. Andrew Marlowe has said there won’t be an actual sex scene in the 1st episode, so I’m betting someone is going to get a phone call before it can get to hot and heavy the next morning. Either Smith will call Castle, or Ryan will call Beckett and interupt them before anything dirty can happen, dammit. Whichever, she’s going to realize they are still after her. I’m just happy it wasn’t a dream. I can’t wait for Sept 24th.

The side view of Castle waking up has a window on the left side of the bed. If this was Castle’s loft there should be a big picture of an elephant right where that window is situated. There is an overhead light by the side of the bed that is not present in Castle’s loft.

Then why have both of them got the same headboard? It is Castle’s bedroom. Look at his bed in other episodes. The design department surely would not have them both having the same style of bed. Still we will all have to wait to find out and I will stand corrected if proved wrong. If I am wrong, then the design department is really lacking in originality

I thought the same thing (i.e. same checkered wall/headboard) when I first watched the clip. However, if you stop the clip when Castle suddenly sits up in bed, you will notice from the side view, that the lamp beside the bed is different. The clip quickly changes to a front shot of Castle sitting up in bed, in HIS bedroom. So there are definitely two different bedroom scenes, the second, we assume is Beckett’s.

There’s also a window on the side wall when Castle sits up-right, but in Castle’s bedroom, there is a large print and a bathroom on that wall (as seen in “The Late Shaft” and on-line photos of Castle’s bedroom).

Title of the promo should be ’21 Seconds’ in homage to ’47 Seconds’ from this past season! Isn’t it amazing how much we fans can take away from less than 1/2 a minute promo. I think I’m on the side of two bedrooms especially based on Andrew Bikichky’s tweet from a few days ago on adding to Kate’s apartment set. Anyway Beckstle, great and fun review!

It has to be 2 different bedrooms because if you look at this https://p.twimg.com/A1bCtcFCEAArAPr.jpg the first image is RC’s loft bedroom set. A black & white giant picture of an elephant can clearly be seen to the left of his bed. Look at the last image (the bottom of the 3) if Castle were waking up in his own bed there should not be a window on his left (there should be the aforementioned elephant picture) HOWEVER…the way the promo is EDITED…the shot of him rising up in the bed (side view with window) is DIRECTLY before the shot of him sat up in bed (his OWN bed at the loft- middle of the 3 pictures) this makes it SEEM like the shot is seamless & from the same room/same take…when it’s clearly not.

Yes absolutely right. Peculiar editing though. Are we getting a bit obsessive here? Naah! Really love this show. can’t wait for S5. It is not being aired here in the UK until March next year, but apparently I can download it from iTunes the day after it is shown in the US.

Yes you can download it from ITunes , just after midnight into the Tuesday it is avaiable to buy- this is what I did for season 4- not a lot of sleep but for Castle who cares! There is no way can I wait until we get it in the UK.

I also believe that there are 2 bedrooms, although I have a crazy theory about this. My question is, “what was Castle dreaming about that made him jump up and look to see if Beckett was in fact next to him?”

Did you ever have a dream where you’re dreaming about a specific place (in this case Castle is dreaming that he’s in his bedroom) and the place you’re dreaming about is “nothing like the actual place?” Things (furniture, windows, curtains, etc.) are different. The location may be the same, but the layout is way different. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself clearly, but I’ve had dreams like this.

Ok, we continue with this crazy theory… In his dream Kate is there, and that’s where we see the scene of her leaning over to kiss him. The scene has that “misty” air about it (I’ve seen this done when shows want to make “dream” scenes). The unbuttoning of the shirt is also part of Castle’s dream.

In his dream, Castle jumps up when he thinks that the “thing” that happened with Kate is not real, this causes him to wake up and look to his left to see if Kate is there. At that moment, Kate walks in and Castle says, “so it wasn’t a dream.” IMO, the dream he’s referring to is the dream he just finished having! The conversation we see where Kate asks, “did you like it?” is real, IMO, and has nothing to do with the dream.

What are the chances that there would be 2 of the same scenes (both times Castle is startled & jumps up from his sleep) in the same episode?

This is crazy I know! What are your thoughts? I’m interested in knowing.

Hi! I actually didn’t like this before all the spoilers came out, and there’s for the warning at the beginning of this article. so if you don’t want to be spoiled stop reading now.

the spoilers have confirmed that it is 2 different bedroom scenes. Look carefully at the scenes in Castle’s bedroom. Castle wakes up slowly not with a sudden start. He is looking around his bed, feeling the sheets, seeing if Kate is there. He’s disoriented, but not afraid. Whatever wakes him up in Kate’s bed is frightening, more like a nightmare. A nightmare would not be a night of hot passionate sex with Kate, nor would he be afraid when he woke up. The fear would set in AFTER he realized she wasn’t there.

Hi! Beckstle, thank you for your comments. There’s something that’s been eating at me that I wish to share and maybe get your thoughts on it. I don’t know if I am just anylyzing this too much since I’m so excited for the premiere, but here it is anyway. Don’t you think it’s odd that there are two identical scenes in one episode? I’m referring to 2 different bedroom scenes with Castle waking up in each? To me the scenes mirror each other, with the exception of the layouts of each bedroom. I believe that the scene where he wakes up in his bedroom is the “real” scene, and the scene where he wakes up in “Beckett’s bedroom???” is a dream that he’s having.

Just one more thought… I have to share or I will explode! This OCD is getting worse each day!!

Most of the comments I’ve read in other forums says that Castle is unbuttoning (it looks like it’s Castle’s fingers at the bottom of the screen) Kate’s shirt. Just a thought, what if what we’re seeing is Castle’s hand unbuttoning or buttoning HIS shirt, and Kate has nothing to do with that one scene!

Actually I don’t think having to similar scenes is weird at all. Marlowe lowes mirroring in his stories. If I really wanted to get analytical about it I would say Waking up at his place the spaceis bright, and Castle’s demeanor reads: romantic, fun, sexy and relaxed. This is JUST LIKE CASTLE and the circumstances of his life. Seeing just that one little blip at Kate’s and you get that the place is dark and Castle is filled with a sense of dread/fear and tension – JUST LIKE KATE and the circumstances of HER life. Them being together, and the stories we’ll be getting this season will likely involve both elements. Having that mirror in the episode is a great visual layer in the storytelling.

I think maybe you are looking for the gimmick or the trick in terms of Castle and Beckett getting together. I don’t blame you because that’s how most shows operate. Castle is not most shows. The really gimmick or silly/fun things are saved for the procedural part of the show. For example, the whole zombie/zombie walking story. It was lots of fun, lots of “we know there’s no such things as zombies, but it sure acts and looks like a zombie.” It’s fun to try to figure out what the trick is going to be. However things having to do with character development, personal relationships or the mystery surrounding the murder of Beckett’s mother tend to be straight forward. The facts in those situations are always what they seem. That’s because those parts of the story are complex and compelling on their own. The characters and circumstances drive the story, so they don’t need a gimmick like, “figure out the zombie.”

By the way, I LOVED the Zombie story. It was the comedy portion of the “dramedy” and the fact that they can make something like that seems plausible is excellent research, and great imagination in writing. Castle does both comedy and drama superbly, but they don’t treat the heart of the story in the same way as the procedural portion. So while I expect there will be lots of comic moments, fun and laughter within the realm of the new relationship between Castle and Beckett, I don’t expect there will be any tricks.

Hi ! I am new to this computer thing but am a long time fan of the Castle series!! The writing, acting and story arc are the best I have seen on a television series. Just want to say how very interesting and insightful all your comments are!!!! Very helpful and thought provoking. Many thanks. Like you I am looking forward to year 5!! I am waiting for the series 4 dvd’s to arrive next week so I can quickly re-watch the 4th year in order and get ready for 5!!

I love all the speculating from a 20 second promo. I admit, I have played it over and over again. I’m so done with summer TV and I have worn out all my Castle DVR recordings. I’m ready, for what I hope will be, the best season ever of this show. I’m so glad AM did not go the “so over done” route of breaking up because we are “overwhelmed with what we just did” crap. He appears to be leaving them in a relationship that they are committed to and of course like all of us, will have problems on the way.
From everything I have read from all the critics on this season premiere, they have done an outstanding job and it is the perfect spring board for what hopes to be their best season ever.
I just have one question and I would love some feed back from all of you. Rick has told her he loves her four times. Kate has said “I want you”, not I love you. Is this going to be a big deal this season for her to say that and at what point will it be important for Rick to hear it from her? I have not read anything from AM addressing this. Has anyone else?

I’m sure the topic will come up soon & AWM will address it. Like you, I’m eager for Kate to say I Love You & it will be a big deal, & will be done true to the characters. Who knows, maybe we will get to hear her say it in Ep 1 or 2.

I read another article by someone who had seen the premier already (Tv Line, maybe) that said that there were 2 scenes that looked connected but weren’t. That has to be the 2 bedroom scenes at the end. The one where Castle gasps when he wakes as if from a nightmare is at Kate’s the other shot right after is at Castle’s.

@Venata Kamenova – GREAT CATCH! We’re all so focused on Castle & Beckett why would we think about it being anyone else’s bedroom but his or hers! A fabulous “magic trick” of misdirection. As soon as I read your comment I went back and watched it a few times. Or, rather, LISTENED. The gasp is NOT Castle – it’s the wrong pitch. BRAVO!

That’s a really good (and unique) way of looking at it… I hadn’t thought of that. I too went back and watched it a couple of times, and I think you are right… it may not be Castle. Only 16 days to go and I just cannot wait!!!

Now that I think about it and knowing how teaser promos can mislead you as to what is actually happening. What if the voiceover of “They’ll find out…if it was the biggest mistake…they ever made” isn’t referring to Castle and Beckett, what if the “they” is in reference to the Dragon and the conspirators? And the mistake was Maddox not finishing Kate off when he had her at his mercy on the roof. Because now Beckett isn’t “alone” anymore, she’s Caskett. 😀 Just a thought.

Interesting idea! If that turns out to be the case I’ll have to give ABC even more credit. (The 1st time being not forcing the show to stall out out the relationship.) That would be pretty cool, and makes sense storywise. However, I think it’s just a bit of leftover old-school advertising. Like, God forbid that people think that the relationship is permanent. Still, I like your idea more.

Whoever sits up in the bed with a gasp is not in either Castle or Beckett’s bed. There is a window directly to the right of the person. Not on the same wall as the headboard. Pictures of Beckett’s new bedroom set (that were released in July) have no window there. Neither does Castle’s bedroom set
have a window there. So! Where is this?